This Time is the Last Time
by hiially
Summary: Jade's finding herself succumbing to the indulgence that is Tori Vega more than she's willing to admit, and shocking enough Tori is going along for the ride without so much as a question.
1. Inebriated

**Again, I do not own Victorious! Just trying my hand at a multi-chap fic for once. I got some pretty good feedback from my first one and it put me into quite a good mood!**

The first time I kissed her, I claimed in was a drunken mistake. One too many drinks at a party she had found us both in the bathroom, tan hands knotted in raven hair while pale fingers clenched tightly to a slim waist as our lips molded to the other's.

It didn't occur to me that this was the girl I openly hated, treated like shit, and constantly put down. Oh no. I was much too concerned with the way her fingers were dancing down my stomach. When they reached the button on my jeans, I was doused with the realization of what I was doing like a bucket of freezing cold water.

"Tori." I said breathlessly, and soon she became conscious of what we were doing as she shoved me back and looked at me with wide eyes.

"Oh my God. I'm so sorry. I don't even... I don't..." She sputtered through her drunken haze.

I silenced her by covering her mouth with my hand, "Vega. Vega, shut it. That's not even what I was going for."

The tension in her shoulders evaporated as they fell and she confusion overtook the shock in her eyes. I removed my hand to let her speak, "What?"

"Go tell everyone I got sick and you're just going to take care of me for the rest of the night." I said.

"What? Why? Are you okay?" She asked with that typical Vega concern.

I rolled my eyes, "I'm fine. It's just more believable than saying you're sick and I'm the one taking care of you."

"Why does anyone have to be sick?" Vega asked, and I was started to question what her IQ level was.

"Jesus Christ, Vega, could you be any more dense?" I asked as my irritation grew, "I don't want anyone to interrupt us."

"What would we..." She trailed off as realization struck her and her cheeks flushed a deep red as her eyes grew wide, indicating she finally understood what I was discreetly trying to get at.

A devilish smirk made its way to my lips as I leaned forward and ghosted a feather-light kiss on her lips, "I'll be waiting."

I suppressed a laugh as I watched her fumble with the lock on the door. When she disappeared from the room and down the hall, I strutted towards her bedroom. When I was safely inside the four walls, I allowed myself to wonder what exactly was about to happen, and why I had initiated all of it. All I could come up with was, well, why the fuck not? I mean, Beck and I were long over, and I wasn't looking to date Vega. She knew that, right? I mean, of course she knew. She was familiar with one night stand etiquette.

I pushed the thought out of my mind as I looked around her room. Jesus, she was taking a long time. I hoped no one was actually worried about me. I mean, this is Tori fucking Vega we're talking about here. It shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that she would volunteer to take care of someone, especially me. That alone should squander any worry our friends might have.

My worry was snuffed out when I heard the door open. I turned to see her closing it and looking at me nervously. I slowly approached her as she backed up into the door behind her.

"Everything all right?" I asked with a smirk.

Her composure surprised me as her posture became more relaxed and she looked at me with hungry eyes, "You'd be surprised how easily they were convinced."

"Surprised? Not really." I said simply, before closing the distance between us, claiming her lips for my own. She gave in to my demand of dominance with little to no fight as I blindly guided us to her bed. I laid her down gently onto the comforter. Before kissing her again, I hoarsely whispered, "This is a one-time thing."

"Okay." She said as she gave me a small smirk. I couldn't tell if it was because she understood, or if it was because she didn't believe me. I pushed the thought of a repeat performance out of my mind as I captured her lips in a heated kiss, reveling in the feeling of those nimble fingers tracing my spinal cord through the thin fabric of my shirt. The next thing I was really aware of, she was unbuttoning the offending garment and then sliding it down my shoulders, and tossing it somewhere off to the side. I lifted her up slowly so I could do the same and soon I was staring at the expanse of tan skin over a taut stomach.

She pulled me back down with one hand gently grasping the back of my neck as her teeth tugged on my lower lip. A smile broke across my face as I put more pressure onto her hips, enjoying the way her breath hitched.

"Can you keep up, Vega?" I breathed into her ear, after tracing the shell with my lips. I felt the vibration of her chuckle as she got a firm grip on the back of my neck with one hand, she guided my lips back to hers and I suddenly felt the pressure of my bra release and soon it was slid off completely by those tan fingers.

I looked at her through slightly shocked eyes, "My, my, Vega. Someone's done this before." I said in a throaty voice. A firm thigh was suddenly placed roughly in between my legs, causing me to gasp. She looked at me through challenging eyes.

"Now, Jade, I don't question what you do outside of school." She chastised playfully.

Leaning down, I brushed my lips over her pulse point, feeling how quickly her heart was beating, before sinking my teeth into it. I didn't really give a damn about how it would look in the morning.

"Actually you do, but I guess that's besides the point right now." I said, sliding my own hand behind her back and unclasping her purple and black plaid bra.

We were a set match when it came to clothing, until Vega put her hand on the clasp of my jeans for the second time that night. She gave me a cautious look, seemingly trying to weigh how I was feeling.

"Tell me how far you wanna go, and I'll take you there." She said in a soft voice.

"Oh, I'm not backing down, Vega. I started this and you can make damn sure I'll be finishing it." I said with a wicked grin, and with that a new fire had become enflamed in the two of us.

Hands grazed over the plains of our bodies as noises of appreciation filled the air. Watching Vega completely give herself over to me caused something to shift in my initial impression of what tonight would be. What it could be.

At this point, I'm sure I could play off being too drunk. We could wake up in the morning and act like this never happened.

My train of thought was disrupted by the pure ecstasy Vega had just let rein over my body and suddenly all I could see were stars. But not before a similar feeling was surely taking over Vega as I heard her straggled voice say my name before the two of us collapsed from exhaustion.

We woke up in the same position, yet flipped. Instead, I was on my back as she rested snugly into my side. Her face nuzzled into the crook of my neck and her warm breath caused goosebumps to erupt all over my naked body. Just as soon as my groggy mind became clear, Vega was lifting herself up off the bed, running a hand through her hair.

"Hi." She said. I had anticipated this morning after business would be awkward. Instead, we both gave each other the once over, soberly appreciating the other's body. There was no blushing and frantically covering up the revealed skin with the unkempt bed sheets.

"Morning." I said, my voice hoarse from a night of drinking. I'm sure the activities that occurred in this room only a few hours earlier might have something to do with that too.

"You're beautiful, you know that?" She said with a sly smirk as she bent over to the floor to pick up a shirt. It was a thin red flannel that I soon recognized as my own. I watched as she slid it over slender shoulder blades and turned to look at me, only bothering to clasp it enough that it held the two sides together.

"Look, Vega," I started, propping myself up on my elbows. I dreaded the thought of explaining to her that last night should have meant nothing. Wait. Should have? It did. Without a doubt. Mean nothing, that is.

"Hey," She cut me off, "I'm just giving you a compliment. Not a ring or anything." She finished her sentence, kneeling next to me on the bed. I narrowed my eyes, wondering what exactly I was going to do next. Surprising even myself, I reached up and cupped my hand on the back of her neck, pulling her back down to me.

"This time is the last time." I said before capturing her lips in a heated kiss.


	2. Teasing

The second time I kissed her, well I guess I should say it would be more of the second incident involving her. It wouldn't make much sense to say the second time I kissed her, because I sure as hell had kissed her more than once that first night. So we'll call them incidents from here on out.

Anyway, I could write off the second incident with Vega because I felt like teasing her. After all, one heated night doesn't change the fact she was still my favorite person to torment. I suppose you could say the teasing started the morning after her party. I made a purpose to brush past her whenever I walked by, subtly made certain that when we were sitting at lunch that she sat next to me so I could lightly run my fingers up her thigh. My jeans were a little tighter, skirts a little shorter, shirts a little more revealing. Nothing too noticeable by the others in the group, apparently. Rex was the only one who said anything, and lets say he doesn't have a leg to stand on right now.

Regardless, I got immense joy watching Vega's eyes trail up and down my body, pausing briefly at my chest. She looked like she had been hypnotized. When she caught herself staring, she would look at me with that same amused expression she had during the first night. Her gaze would linger though, and no smile can hide what the eyes can tell you. She wanted me. She lusted for me. The things that can do to a girl's ego, I tell you.

So I guess that explains why I took such a risk in creating a catalyst for the second incident. She had me feeling almost high over the past week, which was peculiar and frustrating at the same time. We were in the Black Box Theater, helping set up for Sikowitz's next play. Beck had been preoccupied with scenery, Sikowitz put Cat back up on the catwalk to do lighting. Andre was of course up on the music stage setting up equipment. Robbie was too busy moping about legless Rex to do much of anything other than sit in the front row and pout. So that left me alone with Vega getting costumes ready in the back storage room.

I also might have uncharacteristically asked for her help. Brushing it off with a comment similar to telling her that her wardrobe matched that of prairie settlers and her help would be beneficial. She knew I was only saying it to wipe away suspicion that our friends might develop.

I was mindlessly futzing with the fabric in my hands as I debated on whether or not I wanted to have a repeat performance, something I had initially written off. But I couldn't help myself. Especially since we were left alone. It was like the universe wanted this to happen. So I dropped the dress back into the crate I was leaning over, but before I could turn around, I felt a presence very close behind me.

"You look good, Jade. Are you trying to impress someone?" She breathed into my ear, causing my hair to stand on end.

"Depends," I said with a smirk, "you impressed?"

I heard her chuckle, and felt it vibrating from her chest into my back as her fingers lazily traced patterns on my exposed hip as she pulled up my shirt ever so slightly.

"You are the biggest tease, you know that?" She said, taking a step back as I turned to face her.

"Oh, you have no idea." I said, my voice an octave lower as I looked at her with a predatory gaze. I knotted my fingers into her hair and pulled her face to mine, only to stop when our lips were barely a hair apart.

She let out an almost animalistic growl when I stopped her from getting what she clearly wanted. She opened her eyes to look at me with a raised brow, "Something wrong?"

"This time is the last time." I said, my voice sounding solid and sure despite the fact that I was turning into putty at the moment, and it was all because of her. I couldn't let her know that, though. That wold ruin everything. After all, I'm the one with the control in this situation. She's merely a pawn in my twisted game. And what was the goal of today? To get Sweet Sally Peaches to curse. Preferably while saying my name in the same sentence.

I backed her up into the wall and pressed my hips to hers, which caused her to let out a small moan as her hips pushed back into mine. Using my hands, I ceased any movement of her hips and looked at her.

"Uh-uh, Vega. Stay put." She looked at me skeptically and I wondered if she would question my motive, or even defy it. She did neither as she kept herself still as I added just the slightest amount of pressure, reveling in the noise she made.

"Keep your hands at your sides." I instructed as I grazed my lips across her cheek, nipping lightly at her earlobe before trailing hot kisses down her throat and to her collarbone, pushing away the shoulder of her sweater to grant myself more access. Her breathing was erratic as my tongue danced on her flesh and my teeth nipped and pulled every so often.

"Oh God." She moaned, and I could feel herself fighting my instruction to keep her hands to herself. It wasn't a curse, but I was getting closer so I stepped my game up. My fingers walked slowly up her stomach underneath the soft fabric of her sweater. When I reached the underwire of her bra, I simply let my fingertips slide underneath it and gently graze the skin being supported and hidden. Just as I gave the slightest silent inclination that I would go further, I pulled my hands out completely and had to suppress a smile at her irritated groan.

"Something wrong, Vega?" I said, amusement lacing my words.

"You have got to be the most evil person I have ever met." She said in a shaky voice.

I tilted my head, looking at her with a smile, "Aw, thanks Vega. That might be the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me."

Her irritation obviously grew as I took a step back, indicating I was done playing for the day.

"You have got to be kidding me." She said, looking at me with disbelief.

"Hey, we've got work to do, Vega. Plus, you're not exactly quiet." I threw in a wink as I turned back to the crate that initially had my attention.

"No fucking way, Jade." She growled and suddenly she had me with my back against the wall and was attacking my neck with feverish kisses and harsh bites. I relinquished my title as Game Master because, well, with what she was doing with her hands and mouth had caused my mind to run completely blank. Not to mention I had gotten her to do exactly what I wanted. Granted, it wasn't exactly in the context of what I wanted, but I'd take what I could get.

Her hands were running up and down my body, as if she were trying to commit to memory every inch of me. I dropped my head back, giving her more access to my neck that she took very graciously as she dragged my hips over her thigh that had been placed in between my legs. My hands knotted in her hair as I pulled her mouth from my neck and she moved up to nip at my ear, breathing heavily as she did so.

"Jesus Christ, Tori." I said, breathlessly into her ear.

I'm going to assume me calling her by her first name erupted something inside of her, because she roughly pushed me back into the wall, her lips never leaving my skin as she made her way back down my neck. Christ, at the rate she was going I was bound to have a series of hickeys.

"Fuck it." I could have sworn I heard her say and a smile spread across my lips. Two times. My smugness was wiped away as I felt her hand plunge down the front of my jeans, causing me to drop my head back again, this time with a little more force that it made a thud.

I kept my grip tightly to her hair as she played me like a fiddle. My breathing was almost out of control and I felt like I was literally going to explode. The kisses had stopped as she rested her head in the crook of my neck, putting all of her energy and attention on the rhythmical movement of her fingers.

Just before I hit the breaking point, she removed herself completely from my grasp and out of my reach as well. I looked at her, dumbfounded as to what she had just done.

"Who's the tease now?" She asked in a low voice, looking at me through hooded lids.

I was torn between being pissed off beyond belief and impressed at what she had just done. I gave her a pointed glare as I fixed myself, running a hand through my fingers, readjusting my shirt, and buttoning my jeans. A knock on the door disrupted the tension in the room as Andre poked his head in.

"What is taking you two so long? Sikowitz thought Jade mighta snapped and finally put you outta your misery." He said, looking at Vega, then looking at me. There was a flash of confusion on his face, I'm sure wondering why we were just standing there staring at each other.

"I'm alive." Vega said in her cheery voice, taking me by surprise with her ability to change character so quickly.

"Good to see, girl, but we gotta get those costumes out ASAP."

"Yeah, whatever." I said, breaking my silence and picking up the crate that was now behind Vega. Andre took his leave from the room and Vega turned ever so slightly to me.

"Are you okay? You look a little...tense." She said with a smirk. If my hands weren't full I would have probably given her an applause. But as I thought about it more, I wondered why she was going along with this, and why she hadn't questioned it once. Not once, but twice did I pull her aside to have my way with her. Well, I suppose this time she had her way with me, but I was still the initiator. Was this just a game to her, too? Was it still a game to me?

"Watch your back, Vega." I said as I brushed past her, carrying the box out of the storage room.

"I thought this time was the last time." She called back to me, causing me to stop dead in my tracks. This time should be the last time. But I think it's safe to say that Jade West always has to have the last word.


	3. Retaliation

The third incident, well that one went differently than the others. I had let her brew over the thought of me taking my retaliation against what she did to me in the storage room. She wore that facade of pure confidence when we were with our friends, but as soon as the group would divide and we were left alone, I could see the anxiety in her eyes. No doubt she was running through a list of heinous scenarios of what could be her demise.

And I could guarantee that what I had in store for her was not on that list.

I had ditched the last half of my final class the Friday following our little rendezvous so I could effectively sneak into her house without being caught. I mean, what better way to start my weekend than a little breaking and entering?

Climbing in through the window proved to be easier than I anticipated and I silently thanked the landscaper that decided to put that huge tree right next to her window. She really should lock that thing more often given its easy access. Regardless, once my feet were safely on her carpeting, I dropped my bag next to her nightstand and plopped down onto her bed, grabbing a magazine off of her dresser as I did so. I had a little under a half an hour to kill before I could anticipate her arrival, so I did my best to make that magazine last as long as possible. Unfortunately for me, it was a outdated tabloid with rumors that were so unbelievably off it actually irritated me. I tossed the magazine onto her bed and instead pulled out my sketchbook and began doodling.

I jumped slightly when I heard her front door open, and her yelling at Trina that she didn't care about her toe fungus. Shaking my head, I gave Vega credit for being able to put up with her train wreck of a sister on a daily basis. If it were me, she'd be in a box down the river by now. But I've been told I'm not the most personable of people. Whatever.

Footsteps were coming up the stairs and I did my best to ignore the clamoring of my heart in my chest as I anticipated her entering her room.

"Yeah, Mom. I'll do the dishes tonight." I heard her call to her mother. Jesus, I didn't think anyone was home. Imagine how impossible it would be to explain if her mother had walked in here to drop of Vega's laundry or something. That would have been...oddly hilarious.

The door opened and she quickly entered, tossing her bag on the foot of the bed, merely inches from where my ankles crossed. She hadn't noticed me while she was closing her door, but as soon as she turned around, she nearly jumped out of her skin, clutching her chest.

"Oh my God! Jade, what the hell are you doing?" She said in a high pitched voice.

I didn't even bother looking up from my pad as I scrunched my brows in feigned irritation, "What does it look like I'm doing, Vega? Knitting a sweater?"

She let out a sigh of annoyance, "Yeah, okay. I should have seen that one coming. What are you doing _here_?"

I licked my lips and shrugged, "I was bored. Figured I'd wait for you." I tossed the pad on top of the magazine and looked at her, lacing my fingers together and setting them on my lap gently. Like a lady. Ha. That's a good one.

She raised a brow and looked at me through narrowed eyes, "Waiting for me, huh?" She slowly walked towards me, and if I wasn't mistaken there was an extra sway to her hips. I looked up at her as innocently as possible as she straddled my legs, taking perch on my thighs. She slid her hands up the back of my neck and leaned in close as she whispered, "Who would have thought Jade West was the waiting type?"

A wicked smile made its way to my lips as I pulled back from her attempt to kiss me, "She's not." I said in a whisper before picking her up and dropping her back down once I removed myself from underneath her. I picked up my bag and stuffed my sketchpad into it, looking at her as I slung the strap over my shoulder, "That's why I'm leaving."

The pout she gave me as she crossed her arms in a childish manner would have made me laugh if I wasn't trying to act as disinterested as possible. I made my way to her door and as I clasped the knob I looked over my shoulder, "You hungry?"

"Kind of." She said, keeping the pout, but letting up on the crossed arms.

"Let's go."

"Jade, are you trying to-"

"Relax, Vega. It's a late lunch, not a wedding proposal." I said dramatically, silently enjoying the playful smirk that found its way to her lips.

She picked up her bag and followed me out her door and down her steps. Trina was sitting on the couch and looked up when she heard the disturbance.

"When the hell did Jade get here?" She asked, looking directly at Vega.

"Don't question it." I barked before swinging open the front door and walking out of the house with Vega hot on my heels. "I parked down the street." I said over my shoulder as I continued my way down her driveway and to where I discreetly had parked my car.

"You know, normal people would have just waited for that person to come home instead of scaling a tree and climbing in through the window." Vega said as we approached my car.

I smirked as I unlocked and opened my door, "Yeah. Normal people would also be creeped out by that action and probably deny a dinner invitation from that person who broke in."

"I thought you said it was a late lunch?" She asked with a quirked brow and a knowing smile. Fuck.

"Whatever." I grumbled as I started the car and drove off, my tires squealing in the process.

I took her out to a little diner on the outskirts of town, hoping to downplay this "dinner" as best as I could. We sat and talked like we were actually friends. I asked her what she was planning on doing after graduation, and was pleasantly surprised with her answer.

"You mean to tell me you go to a performing arts school, one of the only ones in the country, and you wanna be a lawyer?" I said with a guffaw.

She scrunched her nose, "It sounds weird, doesn't it?"

"Weird? It's almost comical. It makes no sense. You could not be on a further side of the spectrum. Why are you here then?" I ranted, though made sure my question seemed as sincere as possible.

"I don't know." She said with a shrug, "It was an excellent opportunity. Maybe I thought if I did well enough, I might try to pursue something else."

"Well, let me tell you, you're doing better than you think." I said before thinking. We both looked at each other with slightly wide eyes. I had just complimented her without being under any form of torture. Without even being asked. I'm fucking up here. After a moment of tense eye contact, I cleared my throat and looked back to the burger I had been eating while she went back silently to her salad.

An awkward lull had blanketed us for the rest of the meal, and I was internally kicking myself for letting a slip like that. We weren't even friends. I was just using her, and she was...well the fuck if I know what she was actually thinking throughout all of this.

"So, are you and Beck over for good?" She asked, breaking the tension between us. I glanced back up to her.

"I mean, yeah. I think we've been over for a while. Even back when we were dating." I said, trying not to sound sad. If I can be honest here, I wasn't really sad when Beck and I broke up. At first I was, of course, but after a while I just got over it. It almost seemed ridiculous to think we would get back together. I think we both realized that fairly quickly, which makes hanging out a lot less painful when we're with all of our friends.

"And you're okay with that?" She asked tentatively, clearing trying to test the waters. I suppose since I had complimented her, I could allow a few questions about my personal life without ripping her head off.

A small smile found its way to my lips as I looked at the water glass in my hand, "I mean, yeah. I have to be. There wasn't anything there anymore, and even if I wanted there to be, I couldn't just fabricate that kind of feeling. Falling out of love sucks, but it's just part of life."

She gave me a knowing smile and nodded, "So, are you interested in anyone else?"

I laughed, "No way. I'm not looking for something serious. Not after coming out of that. We both might have been left standing after everything fell apart, but that's just sheer luck. I'm not willing to get my heart broken again. Not any time soon." I said before realizing how much of my personal thoughts I had just offered up to her. Jesus Christ, what was I thinking?

There was little to no conversation after that point. I made Vega pay, though she barely gave a single protest. On the drive home, however, Vega seemed to have found her voice again.

"I really appreciate you telling me those things." She said in a soft voice.

"Don't mention it." I said briskly before looking at her quickly, "Seriously, don't mention it to anyone. I'll ruin you."

She let out a sigh, "Why am I not surprised?"

"Because things don't change." I said, rolling my head on the headrest and looking at her. She looked back at me with hard eyes and pursed lips and I wished I knew what she was thinking.

I pulled into her driveway and put the car in park, looking at her as she did everything but look at me.

"Vega." I said softly, finally catching her eye. Instead of saying anything, I leaned forward and placed a rough kiss on her lips, biting and tugging her bottom lip towards me as I pulled away. She let out a small moan once we broke contact.

"Did you wanna come up?" She asked me with hooded lids. I smiled, leaning forward and kissing her again with bruising force, enjoying how her hands felt tangled in the curls of my hair. She kissed back with equal fervor and was reluctant in letting me pull back again.

"No. Now get outta my car." I said in a whisper. She looked at me with disbelief, much like she had that day in the storage room and I half expected her to try to take me right in the driver's seat on my car. I probably wouldn't have stopped her. Probably.

She unbuckled herself and got out, but before closing the door, she leaned against it and looked at me, "I've been waiting for your retaliation from the other day."

"You paid for my lunch. Consider us even. Until next time." I said with an evil smile.

Surprisingly, she leaned back into the car and captured my lips in a heated kiss, "You let me know when the 'last time' is going to be."

"Don't count on it." I said as she pulled back, getting out of my car again and this time closing the door. As I stopped at the light right outside of her neighborhood, my phone buzzed in the cup holder.

_I count that as dinner, if you ask me._

There was a smirk playing on my lips, and despite the fact that I actually had fun tonight, this was still supposed to be a game. I couldn't like her like that. I mean, I didn't. I didn't like her like that.

_Good thing no one asked you._

If there was one thing I was absolutely certain about, that little late lunch or dinner or whatever the fuck it was would definitely be the last one. It had to be. I couldn't risk this getting out of control.


	4. Jealousy

**I've gotten so much positive feedback! You guys are awesome. This chapter's a bit longer. Hang in there! See ya next time ;)**

The fourth incident was unexpected at best. After our little lunch or dinner, whatever it was, she had started to avoid me. She made a point to sit as far apart from me at lunch as possible. I couldn't even get a passing glance, no matter how hard I tried. Well, in all honesty I wasn't trying very hard. But that isn't entirely my fault. I wanted so badly to get her attention again, but I couldn't just flounce around with a picket fence saying _Look at me, Vega, look at me!_ Not without raising a lot of red flags with our friends. As much as I hated to admit it, she became some kind of drug for me. I craved not only her kiss, her touch, but also her attention. And I'd be damned if I wasn't going to get it.

Let's get one thing straight, whatever this is that's going on between me and Vega, it is not romantic. Feelings are not involved. A snowball has a better chance in Hell than the survival of any sort of romantic relationship between Vega and myself. It was purely physical. It just so happened that I loved every physical thing about her.

I will never admit that out loud.

So here I am, trying my very hardest to seem unfazed by the fact that she's ignoring me, all while trying to figure out what her problem is. I tried to think about what I might have done that could have upset her. I mean, something in addition to all of the normal things that I do. The only thing I could really think of was how I reacted when I dropped her off after our date. I mean lunch. She couldn't be pissed because I refused to go upstairs, could she? That would be ridiculous. What else happened... I mean, I did shoot down her attempt at calling what we did a date. But come on, she's always getting shot down by me. What makes this any different?

Maybe because before now, we weren't fucking on the side. But if I was right, and that _was_ the reason she was being so icy with me, that would mean that she _wanted_ it to be a date. Which would mean she had feelings for me. Which is not something I really want to deal with.

This leaves me standing at my locker after school ended, staring at its contents not thinking about the books I need to bring home, but instead wondering how I was going to remedy whatever it was that I had tarnished. I let out a sigh, and as I was about to finally grab a textbook, I heard her melodic laugh from across the hall. It froze me solid as I slowly turned my head to see what was causing her the enjoyment that I couldn't.

There she was, leaning against her locker with that thousand-watt smile, looking up at some guy. Whoa, some guy? My eyes narrowed instinctively as I examined this stranger. He looked like a meathead. One of those guys that literally has nothing going on inside his head except air. He leaned casually against a locker as he said something else that made her erupt into a fit of giggles. Who _was_ this guy?

"Jade!" Cat's loud cheery voice broke me from my analysis and I looked to my side to see her smiling face.

"Cat, who's that guy?" I nodded towards the mystery man.

"Oh! He's new. I didn't get his name, but I guess he's a transfer student from some other school. He plays football. Or maybe soccer..." Cat trailed off and looked past me as though she was lost in thought.

"An athlete? What's he doing at Hollywood Arts?" I asked out loud.

"He plays guitar in the school band now." Cat answered.

"What the hell is he doing talking to Vega?"

"They have a class together. I guess he wanted to do a duet with her." Cat said in her light, airy voice.

"Did she learn nothing from Ryder?" I asked in a bitter voice, not really intending for a reply.

"Why do you look so angry, Jade? Your fists are all tight and your biting your lip. The last time I saw someone do that, it was when my brother knocked out the nurse at the hospital where-"

"Cat!" I snapped, seeing how she quickly retraced from me and looked at me through those big brown eyes. I sighed, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap. I'm just...tense. Here." I said, pulling out a bag of little chocolates in my locker that I usually save specifically for her. Her eyes lit up again and she took the bag, giggling the whole time.

"It looks like she likes him, doesn't it?" Cat asked absentmindedly as the topic at hand went back to Vega.

"I don't give a damn what she looks like. That guy looks like trouble." I grumbled.

"Oh! He's leaving! Quick, pretend like we weren't staring." Cat said loudly, striking an awkward pose that made her look like she was analyzing the trash bin by my locker as he walked by, completely obvious. Total meat head.

"Yeah. Real natural, Cat." I said, rolling my eyes before looking back to Vega once her mystery suitor was gone. My eyes locked with hers and I saw a look of disdain on her face. I let out a sigh, trying not to think about what she must be thinking about me right now, "Hey Vega!" I shouted across the hall, ignoring how she rolled her eyes, "I wanna talk to you."

"Have you ever thought that maybe I don't want to talk to you?" She asked snidely, despite the fact that she was walking towards me anyway.

"And still you come." I said with a smug smirk. She bit her lip and raised her brow, clearly already irritated with me.

"You wanted something?" She asked in a clipped voice.

"What did that meat sack want with you?" I asked, closing my locker and leaning against it.

"That _meat sack_ has a name. That was Logan." She said, smiling at Cat with a silly grin. A silly grin that made my stomach knot.

"Yeah, I don't care who he is. What did he want?" I asked again.

"He wanted to know if I was free to go on a date tonight." She said, bouncing excitedly on the balls of her feet, looking at Cat for the reaction she knew she wouldn't get from me.

"Oh my God!" Was all Cat managed to say.

"Oh my God." I said shortly after, though obviously for different reasons.

"Jealous, Jade?" Vega asked me with a little smirk, giving away the real reason why she put up with whoever she was talking to.

"Of you?" I scoffed, "No thanks. I like my men with a little substance." I said.

"Oh, this is getting uncomfortable." Cat said as she looked at the ground, clutching the bag of chocolates I had given her, "Kay, bye!" She said loudly before running off down the hall.

"You are ridiculous, Jade." Vega said, relaxing that now she could be a little less candid.

"I'm not the one going on a date for the sole reason of making someone else jealous."

"Who said that's what I'm doing? Logan seems like a great guy. A great guy who wouldn't mind taking me out to dinner." She said, trying her very best to seem innocent. It was pretty convincing, I'll give her that.

At this point, the hall had cleared out, leaving us alone. I pushed off the wall and took a step closer to her, "I doubt he'll be able to make you feel half of the things I can" I said in a hushed voice as the distance between us began to close.

Surprisingly, she gave me a smirk as she leaned forward. She didn't kiss me, though. Instead she took my lip in between her teeth and bit, swiping her tongue across it as she did so.

I let out a groan, "Don't go out with him." I said in a low voice, sliding my hand up the back of her neck.

"Why not?" She asked in an amused tone.

"He looks like a tool." I breathed, ghosting another kiss on her lips.

"Anything else?" Her voice was hardly audible as she tugged me closer by my belt loops.

"What better reason do you need? Instead of spending a lame evening with him, you could come over to my place. We could do some studying. Or...something else." I said with a grin.

"You mean you don't want to fuck me in the hallway?" She asked, that innocence working fabulously as she looked at me with those chocolate eyes.

Chuckling, I had to stop myself from imagining just such a scenario, "Not this time. So whaddya say?"

Vega hummed in contemplation, "No, Jade. I'm going on that date."

I wasn't about to be shut down. I was still the Game Master. Giving her the control was a momentary lapse in my judgement. I'm just lucky I can be convincing, "Then at least come over beforehand. You'll get to your date in time."

Her eyes narrowed, "We're going to my place. That way I can guarantee that you won't hold me hostage."

A devilish grin spread across my face as I grasped her wrist, dragging her behind me and out the door of the school.

Once we got into her, thankfully empty, house, I didn't hesitate pulling her against me and kissing her soundly as I leaned into the door to close it. When we pulled apart, she looked at me through eyes clouded with lust, pulling her lower lip in between her teeth.

"This time is the last time." She said in a hushed voice.

I looked at her with a cocked brow, "I believe that's my line."

"Yeah, but I actually mean it when I say it."

"So you say." I said, sliding my hands into the back pockets of her jeans as I pulled her closer again, "If this really is the last time, Vega, let's make it worth while."

"Then it shouldn't be against a door, West." She pulled away and began walking backwards towards the stairs.

"Lead the way." I said with a smile as she did just that.

This time, when we walked through the threshold of her bedroom, she turned quickly and pushed me into the door, closing it with a loud thud.

"When's your date?" I asked through heated kisses, grasping the back of her head as she fumbled with the buttons on my shirt. Another button down. I should really rethink my wardrobe when things like this are going to happen. Then again, like I said earlier I wasn't expecting this to happen.

"Not until eight." She said with a heaving chest as she pulled away and slowly slid my shirt off of my shoulders.

"Plenty of time." I said with a grin before pulling her back to me for another kiss as I bent slightly to pick her up. She wrapped her legs around my waist like it was happening from muscle memory as I carried her to her bed. I tossed her down a little less than gently, enjoying the surprise gasp that escaped from her lips. She looked up at me with flushed cheeks and a playful smile as I did the honor of taking off my own tank top before leaning over her and taking her lips in a chaste kiss. She frantically pulled her blouse up over her head and I chuckled lightly as she threw it behind her.

I moved over, hovering above her as she laid back onto her bed. I kissed her once, then began a trail of kisses down her neck, in between the valley of her bra-clad breasts and down the toned stomach that I never noticed she had until now. I unbuttoned her jeans and glanced up to her quickly, seeing that her head was thrown back and her chest heaving. I slid my hands in between the denim of her jeans and the fabric of her panties as I began to pull the jeans down her tanned legs. It was much more difficult than I thought it would be, and she looked up at me with a confused expression.

"Fucking skinny jeans." I grumbled as she finally helped me by kicking them off. She was sitting now, with me standing in front of her. She kept our eyes locked as she undid the button on my jeans and pulled them down. A similar difficulty was shared on my side and I almost fell over completely from my lack of coordination. We both looked at each other and shared a laugh before she pulled me down onto her. She flipped us over with surprising strength so she was on top, and I was willing to give her that much, I guess. Her teeth scraped down the flesh of my throat, with not too much pressure than it hurt, but just enough that it felt good. Great. It felt great. Her hands moved up and down the curves of my body as her thigh rocked a steady pace and I tried my hardest to match that.

Once she seemingly became bored with my neck, her lips moved at a painstakingly slow pace down my chest, stomach, and pausing briefly over my belly button. Her fingers began to pull down the lace I was wearing, and my heart was kicked into overdrive.

"Oh God."

Did that come out of my mouth? It must have because Vega's motion ceased and I lifted my head to look at her as she looked at me.

"Tell me how far you wanna go and I'll take you there." She said with a small smile, quoting herself from the first night.

A smirk pulled at my lips as I bit down slightly, "Well Christ, Vega, you can't rev a girl's engine and then let her stall out like this."

She matched my devilish grin as she went back to her previous activities, and my head hit her pillow as I felt her warm breath on my bare skin. Holy fuck, this girl knew what she was doing. This piqued my interest. Who had came before me? Christ, that pun was not intended. What was happening to me?

Well, currently my mind was being blown by what Little Miss Not-So-Innocent was doing to me.

Another thought entered my mind as my hand made its way to tangle itself in her hair: Why was she doing this? She was supposed to be getting ready for her date. Any normal girl would be sitting with her best friend, in this scenario I suppose Cat would be the best choice, and gossiping about how excited she was and how she didn't know what she was going to wear. Instead, she was...She was going down on me. And doing it like a fucking pro.

My throat had begun to unleash a rapid staccato as I felt myself reaching the coda of Vega's performance. And suddenly...all the tension in my body was released in the most amazing fashion as Vega removed herself and crawled up to wear my head rested on her pillow. I began to drift off to sleep as she pulled a blanket over us and cuddled into my side. Christ, I couldn't believe I was cuddling with Tori fucking Vega.

"Sleep tight, pretty girl," was the last thing I heard before drifting off into a peaceful sleep. At least, I think I heard it.

When I awoke, it took me a moment to remember where I was. An easy enough task with a sleeping Tori snug in my side. Her room was hot, and our bare skin was sticking together as I tried to sit up.

"Christ, Vega. You're all sticky and sweaty." I grumbled, not bothering to try to keep her sleeping.

In her half asleep state, she giggled, "I'm not the only one."

"I don't sweat." I snapped at her. She didn't even flinch.

"Whatever you say." She said as she stretched her body out across the bed.

"Shouldn't you be getting ready for your date?" I asked as I sat up, bringing my knees to my chest, but not bothering to actually cover myself with the bed sheet. I think any shyness was lost after the second time we had sex.

Vega practically jumped out of her bed when what I said resonated in her head, "Fuck. Oh fuck. Oh fuck." She chanted as she ran around her room and I had to clasp a hand over my mouth to suppress the laughter threatening to break free.

I looked at the clock on her desk, "Relax Vega. It's only six-thirty. You've got plenty of time to get ready for your precious little date with Lars." I said sarcastically as I stood, picking up my discarded clothing from her floor.

"His name is Logan!" She half-shouted as she turned to look at me, "You're leaving?" She asked, and I couldn't help noticing the disappointment in her voice.

"I'm not going to sit here and help you pick out an outfit for your date. That's Cat's department, not mine."

"Then what's yours?" She said as she slid on a purple robe, crossing her arms when she had fastened the rope into a bow.

I didn't speak as I slowly dressed myself, wondering exactly the same thing. What was I to her? A booty call? Or something more? I shook my head as I buttoned up my shirt hastily, "I'm the girl you call when you don't want to feel lonely." I said quietly, knowing full well that I had put myself in that position.

"You called me first." She said.

"And you come running every time." I said as I grabbed my bag from the floor. I gave her a brief kiss and made my way to her door, "I owe you one, by the way."

"It was the last time." She said, her voice quaking.

"So you say. Have fun on your date," I paused halfway out the door before looking back at her, "pretty girl."

She looked at me and for the first time in God knows how long, I felt love.

So I ran out of her house and didn't look back.


	5. Confrontation

The fifth incident occurred so closely to the fourth that it almost doesn't make sense to separate the two. But I've done it anyway because I can. And because I'm hoping that breaking it down into smaller fragments of time will help me figure out what the fuck is going on with my head. It happened the morning after Vega's date and my abrupt departure from her house.

I was doing absolutely everything in my power to prevent myself from thinking about how Vega's stupid date went. I didn't care where that douchebag took her out to dinner. I didn't care about the idiotic small talk they made over their meals. I didn't care if he tried to lay his grubby hands on her when he dropped her off. I sure as hell didn't care if he tried to kiss her goodnight. Or if she let him.

"Jade, are you okay? You're shaking." Cat's voice yet again snapped me out of my obsessing of how much I clearly didn't care about Vega. I was sitting on the ground with my back against the wall in the hallway of school before classes began. I looked up at her eyes shining with concern.

"Yeah. I'm fine, Cat." I shook my head, trying to rid my mind of the images of that meatloaf doing anything with Vega.

"You've been weird lately." She said, tilting her head.

"It's been a weird week." I said vaguely, not really feeling much like talking. Besides, how exactly would I go about telling Cat that I've been having sex with Vega and not expect her to freak out? Cat's been trying to convince me that Vega's got feelings for me for a long time, and telling her that I succumbed to those stupid cheek bones would absolutely destroy whatever dignity I have left.

Cat looked like she was about to speak again, until the clicking of heels disrupted her train of thought. I looked in the direction of the clacking and saw Trina walking hurriedly towards where I sat.

"Cat, Tori needs help carrying her science project." Trina said to Cat dismissively.

"Where is she?" I asked.

Trina looked at us like we were idiots, "She's in my car, trying to get that damn thing out of my trunk."

"You couldn't have helped her?" I asked incredulously.

"Not in these shoes!" She paused, looking at Cat again, "Well? Hurry!"

Cat squeaked, "Kay kay!" And off she went.

Trina looked at me expectantly once our red headed friend disappeared, "Jade."

"No one likes you, Trina." I said, dismissing whatever it was that she wanted to talk to me about as I brought my attention to the blank notebook that had been sitting in my lap this entire time.

"I know you're sleeping with my sister." She said, ignoring my previous comment.

I looked up at her remaining cavalier, "That's a pretty hefty accusation, Trina. I hope you have some proof for your claim before you go running your mouth like that." I said in a threatening manner.

She looked at me smugly, as if she anticipated that I wouldn't admit to it so easily, "I got out of dance early yesterday. I didn't know your voice could hit that high of a note."

At this point, I couldn't control the blush creeping across my cheeks, "So it sounds like you got a free show. What's your point? Aside from the creepy fact that you're smiling after hearing your sister having sex with another girl." I said through clenched teeth.

Trina continued as if I hadn't spoken at all, "I mean, I get it. You're hot. In a freaky, scary kind of way. So it makes me wonder why she would even bother going on a date with that kid who looks like he got beat with a shovel. Especially if she was just going to come home twenty minutes after leaving." Whatever else that continued to come out of her over glossed lips was lost on me as I practically jumped to my feet.

"Wait, you mean she didn't even go on the date?" I asked with narrowed eyes.

Trina shook her head, "No. When she came back she said something about him being a pig and then she wouldn't come out of her room for the rest of the night."

She...she didn't go on the date. Why the hell not? She had acted like this was the best opportunity that she had been given since she got the offer to come here. She had been absolutely ecstatic with Cat. My thoughts brought me back to what I felt last night before I left her house. Vega had given me one of the warmest smiles I think I've ever gotten from anybody in my entire life. Her eyes told me more than anything her words ever could. She didn't want to let me go, but she would because she knew that it was something I had to do. She didn't want to tell me what she was feeling, but she didn't really have to.

"Trina." A cautious voice disrupted our conversation as I saw Vega walking towards us with Cat hot on her heels.

"Where's your project?" I said, nodding towards her empty hands.

"What project?" Vega asked flustered. She didn't wait for an explanation as her attention turned to Trina, "I cannot believe you locked me in your car with the child safety on!"

Trina looked at her blankly and shrugged, "Oops?"

"How'd you get out?" I asked.

Cat giggled, "My brother used to lock me in things all the time."

The three of us nodded, not requiring much more of an explanation when it came to the crazy antics of Cat's brother.

"So Trina...what were you talking to Jade about?" Vega asked, looking at Trina. Her voice sounded nervous as she began wringing her hands. I wondered if she knew how much Trina knew.

"I just asked if she would help me with my playwright project, but she said no." Trina said nonchalantly. She was a good liar. Maybe there was a little talent somewhere underneath all that make up.

"My actual answer was much more explicit." I said bluntly.

"I don't doubt how explicit you can be." Vega said, giving me a quick once over. That comment would have been innocent for others to hear if only Trina didn't know the underlying meaning.

"Cat, come help me find that boy from our R&B class." Trina said after grimacing.

"I feel so important!" Cat chimed in her airy voice as they walked away from us.

Vega looked at me with tentative eyes, "So. Trina's not in a playwright class."

I sighed, "She heard us having sex yesterday."

Vega's face turned so many colors in a matter of seconds that I thought she was going to explode, "What?!" She half shouted.

I rolled my eyes, leaning against my locker, "Apparently her dance practice let out early."

"Oh no." Vega groaned, rubbing a hand over her face, "What are we going to do?"

"Well you can start by calming down." I said with a raised brow, "It isn't a big deal."

"Not a big deal?! How can you say that?" Vega said sharply.

"Okay, first of all, if we're going to have this conversation you're going to have to bring your voice down a few octaves before you blow my ear drums. Secondly, what do you think she's going to do? Tell people? Maybe if you were sleeping with someone that wasn't me you might have to worry about it, but I highly doubt she'd take the risk. Besides, she didn't even seem bothered by it." I said with a shrug.

"What did she say to you?" Vega said, relaxing a little bit.

"She said she was impressed with my vocal range," I said with a smirk, "And that she didn't understand why you agreed to go on that date last night if you were just going to bail out." I looked at her pointedly, "You didn't go?"

A deep blush spread across those perfect cheek bones as she looked around for some sort of escape out of this conversation. She remained silent for a moment longer before grabbing me by the wrist and dragging me into the janitor's closet down the hall.

"What the hell are you doing, Vega?" I said as she slammed the door closed, locked it, and flicked on a light. Instead of an answer, I got a heated kiss as she pushed me back into the closed door. Her hands grasped my hips tightly as my hands were up by my shoulders, taken aback by her abrupt action.

She pulled away, putting her lips against my ear, "How do you think I could focus on any kind of conversation with you on my mind?"

"You said it was the last time." I said breathlessly as she moved her lips down my neck and bit down on my collarbone.

"I lied." She said before claiming my lips again.

Something in her statement didn't sit well with me. It had the most to do with what Trina had told me about her storming back in twenty minutes after leaving and calling the guy a pig. But it also had something to do with the looks Vega had been giving me over the past few weeks. The little things she would say in passing. The way that no matter how rough she got with me, it was always sealed with a gentle kiss or caress.

"So how does that make Lance a pig?" I asked quietly after pushing her away. Her fingers that were previously gently tickling the exposed area of my hips froze and she pulled away from me, looking at me with conflicted eyes. Eyes that loved me and hated me at the same time.

"You were right. He couldn't make me feel anything close to what you can." Was all she said, pushing into me again and kissing down my neck.

"Vega, I can't give you what you want." I said in a straggled voice.

She lifted her head to look at me through those dark chocolate eyes, "It's just sex."

"Is it?" I breathed, my heart racing as she slid her hands up the front of my shirt.

"You tell me." She said before ghosting another kiss on my lips. As she tried to pull away, I quickly held her by the back of the neck, deepening the kiss and pulling her closer to me.

Needless to say, we missed first period.

When we were finished and putting ourselves back together, I remained completely silent. A war was raging inside me. I knew full well this was no longer a game. For either of us. I guess it just came down to who would admit it first.

"You okay?" Vega said, handing me my shirt that had managed to be dangling from one of the brooms in the corner of the closet.

I shook my head keeping my eyes down, "You weren't supposed to be okay with this. You're supposed to be mad, demanding an explanation and trying to stop me. But instead...instead you're initiating it. You're pulling me in closets to have sex with me. You're putting up with me shooting down any chance of something more. I don't get it."

She looked at me with confusion, like she couldn't believe I was finally confronting whatever this monster of a game had turned into, "You kissed me first."

"And you kissed back!" I half-shouted, remembering where we were.

Her shoulders sagged slightly and she looked at me with understanding, "You don't remember?"

"What are you talking about?" I snapped, trying to harden myself to what was happening.

"You don't remember what you said to me that first night." She reiterated.

I let out a scoff, "I remember doing a lot of things that night, Vega. Talking wasn't one of them."

"I should have figured." She said, rolling her eyes.

"Well? Are you going to tell me?" I asked, irritation getting the best of me.

She leaned against one of the shelving units and crossed her arms, "It was before we were in the bathroom. We were actually having fun, if you can believe that. Talking, laughing, and if I wasn't mistaken, flirting. And suddenly you got really sad and tried to leave, but I convinced you to stay and talk to me. So we went upstairs in the bathroom and you looked at me and said, _'I don't have a chance with a girl like you. I never did. So I'm gonna give you what I can, but promise me you won't ask for more.'_ And then you kissed me. I'm only doing what you asked me to."

I looked at her with wide eyes as I was flooded with images from that night. She was right. About everything. Jesus fucking Christ. I started to realize that the only one playing this game was me, and that Vega had the upper hand the entire time. I had started to panic.

"I didn't mean it." I said sharply.

She laughed, "Of course you didn't." She watched me silently for a moment or two, clearly understanding what was going through my mind, "You can leave now. Just like you always do. But don't you dare try to tell me this time is the last time."

And out the door I went.


	6. Flashback

_"Cat, I don't want to go to this stupid party at Vega's house." I grumbled as Cat sat on the foot of my bed, pouting like she always did when I refused to do something her little heart just ached for._

_ "But Jade, maybe this'll be the night Tori confesses her feelings for you!" Cat whined._

_ "Why would it matter if it was? It's not like I like her back." I said with my back to her, but looking at her through my vanity mirror. Despite the fact that I was adamantly telling Cat I wasn't going to this party, I was still getting ready for it because let's face it, I can't say no to that red velvet cupcake._

_ "That's not what your dream journal says." She replied in a singsong voice._

_ I turned to her abruptly, "You read my dream journal?" I asked in an accusatory fashion._

_ "You left it-"_

_ "Under my mattress!" I cut her off, pointing to the bed she was currently perched on._

_ "I'm sorry! I can't help it! You do like her, you just won't admit it because you don't wanna get hurt!" Cat exclaimed, clasping a hand over her mouth when she finished speaking._

_ "I do not like Tori Vega." I said, enunciating every word in hopes of getting my point across._

_ Cat pouted again and crossed her arms tightly in front of her chest, "You keep lying to me!"_

_ She refused to speak to me from that moment on. She scooted back so she was leaning against my headboard and kept her nose high in the air. This was a typical Cat tantrum. Luckily I've been dealing with them for years so I knew the perfect way to handle such situation: ignore it._

_ Which is precisely what I did. I continued to get ready, taking my time to curl my hair and do my make up. All while casting a glance at her reflection in my mirror every so often to see her irritation grow slowly. She really was like a child sometimes._

_ "Jade..." She whined as I was just finishing up my make up._

_ "Oh, so you're talking to me now." I said with a smile as I turned to look at her again._

_ "So are we going?" Cat asked in a soft voice._

_ I rolled my eyes, "Of course we're going, Kitty Cat. Come on."_

_ "Yay!" She practically shouted as she jumped off my bed and into my arms._

_ "Good God, kid. You're going to kill me one of these days." I said when she finally released me from her vice-like grip._

_ "Come on! Come on!" She grabbed my hand and dragged me out of my room and out of my house._

_ The entire drive from my house to Vega's, Cat continued to tell me how certain she was that Vega liked me and a never ending list of the reasons why._

_ Apparently she liked staring at my chest when I wasn't paying attention. Cat was convinced that when Vega agreed to date Ryder, it was her way of having the most attainable version of me as possible. The fact that Vega was constantly asking for hugs or some form of affection from me was, in Cat's opinion, her strongest piece of evidence that Tori Vega had the hots for me._

_ And suddenly, the topic at hand was Cat's evidence on my hidden crush on Vega. Apparently I was extra mean to her, which couldn't be explained away by the mere fact that I hated her very existence. According to Cat, I had a wondering eye for Vega's ass. And the most compelling reason that I had to have a crush on Vega: I listened to her when she told me to do things. I might make a snide remark, but I still listened. Cat said that there hasn't been a person able to do that since when Beck and I first started dating._

_ "Cat, for the last time, I do not have a crush on Vega." I said as we pulled into Vega's driveway. From the looks of it, the rest of our friends had already arrived. Beck had told me earlier that he was riding with Andre, and Robbie's car was parked in front of the Vega mailbox. What an idiot._

_ "We'll see about that." Cat said as she hopped out of my car and bounded up the driveway. I rolled my eyes and reluctantly followed her. Why did I agree to come again?_

_ "We're here!" Cat shouted when she opened the door to the Vega household, getting hellos from all of our friends._

_ "It's about damn time, girl." Andre said from the couch, giving us a cheers with the red cup in his hand._

_ "Yeah, whatever." I said, walking into the room and crossing into the kitchen, "Fix me a drink, Vega?" I half-ordered her. She gave me a small smile, and I could tell by the slight rouge of her cheeks that she had already had a bit to drink._

_ "Here you go, Jade." She said in a sweet voice as she handed me the cup._

_ I took a sip and gagged when I tasted how strong it was, "Shit, Vega. Are you trying to get me drunk?" I asked with a piqued brow. She didn't say anything, though. Instead she gave me a suggestive smile and walked away from me, and my eyes gravitated towards the sway from her hips. After she took her seat next to Andre, I looked up to Cat who was giving me a smug smile. Fuck. She caught me staring._

_ "One point for Cat." She mouthed to me from across the room. I rolled my eyes and took a seat on the other couch in her living room._

_ "Let's play a game, you guys." Beck said from the chair he was lounging in. Everyone voiced their agreement. He leaned forward, "It's called Never Have I Ever. Someone says something they've never done, and if you've done it, you drink. It's easy enough. So I'll start. Never have I ever..." He thought for a moment, then made eye contact with me, "Stabbed someone with a pair of scissors."_

_ I rolled my eyes, "Good one, Beck." I said as I took a drink._

_ "Jade!" Vega exclaimed, looking at me with wide eyes._

_ "Oh please, it was a superficial cut. Not my fault the guy was a total pussy about it." I said, brushing off her concern, "Is it my turn, then? Fine. Never have I ever...had sex on school grounds." I finished with a shrug._

_ At first it seemed like no one was going to drink, and I almost rolled my eyes again until Andre tried his best to subtly take a drink, glancing around to see if anyone was watching._

_ "Damn, Harris." I said, calling him out._

_ He gave a tilted smile, "What can I say?"_

_ Andre leaned forward after setting his cup on the table, rubbing his hands together as he thought, "Never have I ever kissed someone the same gender as me."_

_ A tentative glance was passed between Cat and myself as we both slowly took a drink. The hollering that happened could have broke the sound barrier._

_ "What?!" Beck shouted, a smile on his face regardless of the fact that he seemed hurt that he didn't know about this before._

_ "Oh God." Robbie said, a deep blush spreading across his cheeks._

_ "I knew it!" Andre yelled, clapping and laughing._

_ "Yeah, yeah." I said, dismissing their cat calls, "Cat, you can go. I already went."_

_ "Never have I ever had a secret crush on one of my friends and refused to tell them!" Cat said loud and fast. I looked at her with wide eyes, preparing to pounce on her for being so ridiculous before I noticed Vega taking a sip out of her cup silently. The attention of the group was now on her as I looked back at Cat._

_ "Two points." She mouthed to me. I sneered at her from where I sat, before looking back to Vega. She had finished her cup and while everyone else was still looking at her expectantly, she got to her feet instead._

_ "I need a refill." She said._

_ I downed the rest of mine before standing up as well, "Yeah, me too. I'll go with you."_

_ "But it's your turn!" Andre shouted to Vega as we made our way to the kitchen._

_ "Never have I ever had sex with Jade West." She shouted over her shoulder._

_ Andre's laugh could be heard as Beck said, "Well, I guess that's me, then."_

_ We walked into the kitchen and to the far counter, setting our cups down. I watched Vega as she rummaged through her fridge for the juice container and glass bottle of vodka._

_ "You know, you can tell Beck you like him. We've been over for a while now." I said softly. Why am I being so nice to her right now?_

_ She smiled and shook her head as she poured her own drink, "You still think I like him after all this time?"_

_ "But..you drank?"_

_ "Jade, I have more than one friend." She said as she stirred her cup and taking a small taste._

_ "So it's Andre, then? I can get behind that." I said with a laugh, leaning against the counter with crossed arms._

_ "Wrong again." She said as she now poured mine, starting with the juice._

_ "Oh God. Not Robbie. Please, please, Vega, tell me it isn't Robbie. I will lose all the respect you have gained if you say it's Robbie."_

_ "Not Robbie either." She said, unscrewing the cap of the vodka bottle._

_ "More." I said when she stopped pouring the first time. She looked at me with a raised brow and obliged to my demand._

_ "No more guesses?" She asked as she handed me my cup._

_ "I think I need to do some more research." I answered with a small smile, sauntering back into the living room where the game had continued on without us. I took my seat back on the couch, and was beyond shocked when instead of going back to her place next to Andre, she plopped down right next to me, draping her legs over mine as she did so. My hand was acting on its own volition and placed itself gently on her knee, rubbing the smooth bare skin._

_ Reluctantly, I looked over to where Cat sat to see a smug smile on her face as she lifted up three fingers and gave me her best I told you so smile. I lifted my cup up to my lips to hide my own grin._

_ We slowly grew bored of Never Have I Ever when it turned into a game of deliberate humiliation. Andre moved over to the stereo system and put in a CD, and stayed there talking to Vega. Cat and I were standing in the kitchen, while Robbie and Beck stayed sitting on the couches in the living room._

_ "Do you believe me yet?" Cat asked, her excitement almost bubbling right out of her._

_ "I don't know. I don't know what to think right now." I said honestly. What would it matter if Vega had feelings for me? I didn't like her like that. Hell, I didn't like her at all. Right? So why did my heart flutter when she sat next to me and why did it feel so good to be able to touch her, albeit innocently?_

_ "Jade you are absolutely ridiculous. Has anyone ever told you that?" Cat's frustration started to take the place of the excitement she held only moments before._

_ "No one does it more than you, Kitty Cat." I said, taking a long drink from my cup._

_ "Hey guys, can I ask you something?" Beck approached us, running a hand through his hair._

_ "It's a free country." I said blandly._

_ "Do you think I might be the friend Tori has feelings for?" He asked, and I couldn't ignore the hopefulness in his voice. Rage consumed me almost instantly, but I had to remember that we were being civil right now, and snapping on him for that ridiculous question is not necessarily something a civil person does._

_ "No way!" Cat shouted, and I threw her a glare. Could she be any more obvious?_

_ "Well, why not?" He asked calmly, "Andre's like a brother to her, and Robbie's obviously out of the question."_

_ "Didn't she shoot you down?" I asked bluntly, ignoring the shock on both Beck and Cat's faces._

_ "Well..." Beck stammered, not bothering to answer the question I already knew the answer to._

_ "She has more friends than us, Beck." Cat said, clearly trying to ease the tension that was building._

_ "Yeah, but..."_

_ "It might not even be a boy." Cat's voice was quiet as she spoke._

_ Beck laughed, "Yeah right. There's no way Tori's gay. I'm gonna go ask if she meant me." Beck said, clearly he had already made up his mind when he came over here, and everything we had just said to him didn't do anything to sway or support his decision._

_ "Great. Now I can watch you crash and burn in person." I said with a smile. At least, I was hoping he would crash. He rolled his eyes and walked over towards where Vega and Andre were still talking. She looked like she was frustrated and Andre was trying to calm her down. I wonder what she could be upset about. When Beck walked up to them, he said something to dismiss Andre, who shrugged and began walking over to where Cat and I were._

_ For whatever reason, the fact that Beck thought he ever had a chance with Vega made me furious. She was so out of his league. She was gorgeous, smart, and funny. Sure, Beck's a great guy. But when it comes down to it, substance isn't something he really has a whole lot of. And Vega, well she's complex. There's a lot more to her than she lets on, and I wanted to figure out what that was._

_ Shit. Maybe Cat was right._

_ "Why are you letting him do that?" Cat exclaimed._

_ "She's going to shoot him down. I already asked her who she was talking about." I said with a small smile, trying to convey the confidence I didn't have for the situation._

_ "Did she tell you who?" Cat tugged on my arm._

_ "No. I tried guessing. I guessed everyone in our group except for you and me." I said, taking a drink from my cup._

_ "Well, I know it isn't me." Cat said as she tapped a finger against her lips._

_ "I could have told you that." Andre said, shocking both Cat and I as we realized we were having a very personal conversation in a very public place._

_ "Why?" I asked him, setting my cup down on the counter I was leaning against._

_ "I just tried figuring out. All I know is that it's a girl, she's talked to Cat about it, and she's freaking out about anyone finding out who it is." Andre ticked off the reasons on his fingers._

_ "Wait," I said turning to Cat, "She's talked to you about it?"_

_ "Uh. No. That's crazy. Why would you..." Cat trailed off uncomfortably._

_ My attention shifted from my best friend's omission back to the spectacle that was Beck trying to seduce Vega. She seemed obviously discomforted by whatever he was saying to her. Her arms were crossed over her chest and one hand was rubbing the arm of the other. From across the room, I saw her shoulders sag and she said something to Beck that made him stiffen for a moment. When his body relaxed, he nodded and gave Vega an awkward pat on the arm before pulling her in for a hug. He walked away from her, shaking his head with a confused expression on his face as he sat on the couch next to a passed out Robbie._

_ "Guess he had to find out the hard way." Andre said._

_ "I told him." I said in a singsong voice._

_ "Told him what?" Andre looked at me as he stuffed his hands in the front pockets of his jeans._

_ "That Vega didn't want him." I said smugly._

_ "How could you have known that before me telling you what I know?" Andre asked, clearly interested in my insight._

_ "Aside from the fact that Vega herself told me? He's so far from her type that it's almost comical. Vega goes for the bad eggs. And looking like a badass isn't enough for her. She needs the chance that her heart is going to get broken, because she wants to be the one to fix whatever ails her person of interest. She needs the mystery, the challenge to crack open the safe of the person's heart. God, she's got the wort Messiah Complex I've ever seen. Beck's whole 'I have no secrets' attitude does absolutely nothing to ignite her curiosity. No. Tori Vega needs someone she can push around, but that isn't afraid to push back either." When I finished talking, the looks of awe I saw on Cat and Andre's faces told me that I had said too much._

_ Not only had I said too much, but as my stream of consciousness continued in my head, I realized that I might have been precisely what Vega was looking for. But that didn't matter. I was no good for her, because the chance that I might break her heart was more than a chance. It was a definitive ending to anything that would happen between the two of us. It's just the way I am. I'm an out of control fire. I damage and ruin everything I touch. And I did not want to be responsible for the ruin of Tori Vega, no matter how often I said I did._

_ Andre and Cat were still staring at me slack-jawed when I finally decided to do something._

_ "I'm gonna go." I said simply before walking off, snatching my coat off the back of one of the couches and heading towards the door._

_ "Jade! Jade, where are you going?" I heard Vega's voice call to me before I felt the smooth skin of her hand wrap around my wrist._

_ "I'm...I'm going home." I sputtered, silently cursing myself for not being able to remain stoic after something as simple as a touch from her._

_ "What's wrong? You look so sad." Vega said, a pout pulling down at those perfect lips of hers._

_ "I'm fine. I'm always fine." I said quickly, trying my best to avoid any eye contact with her._

_ "You're lying, Jade. Come on, talk to me." Vega pleaded in an almost adorable way that caused me to cave practically in an instant._

_ "Fine. But not down here." I said, grasping her wrist in my hand and dragging her up the stairs. When I finally made it to the top of the stairs, I stumbled slightly only to find Vega wrapping her arms around me protectively before I could fall._

_ "You okay?" She asked as she helped me straighten myself up, her lips so close to my ear I could almost feel them._

_ "Yeah." I answered, clearing my throat and opening the door to the bathroom. She looked at me through confused eyes, "Don't question it." I said as I ushered her into the room. I closed the door behind us and moved past her so I could lean against the sink._

_ "What's wrong?" She asked, her voice so full of concern that it could have broken my heart. I thought long and hard about what I wanted to say, but it was almost like my mind couldn't connect to my mouth to get the words out. After a long moment of silence, Vega took a tentative step towards me, brushing the hair out of my eyes and tucking it behind my ear, "You can talk to me, you know."_

_ I smiled at the sincerity of her words, but instead of saying anything, I moved my head forward ever so slightly and captured her lips in what would be our first kiss._

_ "Is it me?" I asked after I broke contact._

_ "Jade..."_

_ "Don't tell me." I said before she could answer, "I don't stand a chance with a girl like you, Tori. I never did. But...I can't help wanting to be something to you, so I'm going to give you what I can. Just please, promise me you won't ask for more. I don't know if I can give you what you want. What you deserve."_

_ She kissed me this time, cupping my cheek gently as she did so, "Jade," she breathed again._

_ "Promise me, Vega."_

_ Our lips were centimeters apart, and when she let out a sigh I felt it brush across my face._

_ "I promise."_

_ I kissed her again, backing her into the wall behind her and pressing our bodies flush together._

_ I, a drunken Jade West, admit that I have major feelings for Victoria Vega._


	7. Realization

**Apologies for the delay! I had a bit of writer's block. There will probably be only one or two more chapters left after this one. I appreciate all the feedback I've been getting. You guys are the best.**

After our little rendezvous in the janitor's closet, I took a liking to avoiding Vega completely. I made a point to sit as far away from her as possible at lunch, I skipped the classes we had together, and I pretty much stopped any and all physical contact with her. Pretty much.

Five days spanned from the day I remembered what I had told her that first night, to the day I came to terms with what was happening. And in between those days, I had snuck into her bedroom twice after dark, nearly scaring the pants off of her both times. Well, if she had been wearing pants.

The first night was three days after the incident in the closet. I waited until after the sun set to climb up her tree, and through her window. She had been laying on her stomach on her bed in a white wife beater and a pair of red boy shorts, flipping through a notebook with her feet kicking gently in the air.

"Damn, Vega, you always dress like this to do homework?" I said once I had swung my body into the room. She jumped up and almost fell right off of her bed.

"Look what the cat dragged in." She said once she realized it was only me. She sat on her bed, feet dangling off the edge as she leaned back on her hands and looked at me.

I crossed the distance from her window to her bed and straddled her legs, "Miss me?"

"Depends. Did you come here to talk about what happened?" She asked as I slid my hands gingerly up the sides of her neck.

Leaning down, I kissed her gently and she let out a small whimper, "Just because I remember what I said doesn't change the rules of what we're doing." I said in a whisper.

"Oh, so we have rules now?" Vega asked with a challenging gleam in her eyes.

"Rule number one: stop talking." I said, ignoring her attempt to provoke me. I pulled the tank top over her head and tossed it behind her. I kissed her again, and to my surprise she did absolutely nothing to stop me. As a matter of fact, she laid back and let me do whatever it was I wanted with her. So I did just that.

That first night, her hands were tangled in my hair as I laid claim to her throat with less than gentle bites, taking out all of my frustration with myself onto her body. Never enough to break the skin, never enough to actually do damage. I don't think my heart could handle the thought. It was just enough to leave bruises, small outlines of my teeth littered down her neck and her breast. I continued my journey down her stomach, the bites turning harsher the closer I got to her panty line, reveling in the gasps she unleashed and how her grip in my hair would tighten to almost vice.

The thin red fabric was discarded to the floor as I did my best to take Vega to _le petite mort_. I wanted her to scream my name. I wanted her body to convulse, wracked with a kind of pleasure she would only be able to associate with me from this moment on. Her nails were digging into my shoulder blade, telling me that I was doing something right. A few moments later, I felt her body tense and then relax in the most drastic of ways. Her legs were wrapped tightly around my mid section and when I lifted myself up I saw her face contorted in pleasure as her chest heaved. I rested my forehead on her stomach, placing a gentle kiss above her belly button.

When I removed myself from her grasp, I heard her whisper, "Stay?"

I stood, straightening my shirt and running my hands through my hair, "We both know I can't do that."

"Can't? Or won't?"

And then I left right back out the window I came in.

The next morning at school, Vega came in wearing a scarf to hide the badge of my inability to deal with my emotions. I continued to ignore her. She continued to give me that broken hearted look that was tearing me apart from the inside out.

I had gotten to our lunch table before everyone else in an attempt to make sure I could get Cat to sit on one side of me while I sat on the edge of the bench. I could hardly handle being in the same room, breathing the same air as Vega. I don't think my body could handle her sitting so close to me while still being so unattainable.

What are you talking about, Jade? You're the one making her unattainable.

"So," Cat said as she sat down next to me, "it's a little hot out for Tori to be wearing a scarf." She spoke with that usual air to her voice, though gave me a knowing look.

"I don't care." I said as I stared blankly at the salad on my tray, kicking around the lettuce with my fork.

"I know you guys have been sleeping together." Cat said bluntly.

I dropped my fork, "Why do people think that's an appropriate way to start a conversation?"

"What do you mean?" She asked with wide eyes, "Someone else knew before me?"

"Trina heard us one day." I said, rolling my eyes, "She hardly counts as someone."

"Well, Tori told me." Cat sat slightly taller, as if she felt more honored that she was entrusted with a secret instead of stumbling in on it. As if any of it really mattered in the end.

"Congratulations." I grumbled.

"Why didn't you tell me? I thought we were friends." She pouted.

"We are friends, Cat. I didn't tell you because there was nothing to tell." I said, irritation drenching my voice.

"You're having sex with Tori. That in itself is something to tell." Cat whispered.

"Oh my God." I said, rolling my eyes as I stood. The rest of our group was just getting to the table and sitting down with their lunches.

"Where are you going?" Beck asked me as I picked up my half-empty lunch tray.

"Cat and I have to work on a project. Come on." I said to her, nudging her shoulder.

"Kay kay!" She exclaimed, gathering her things and following me out of the lunch area. I could feel Vega's eyes on me that entire time, and it took everything I had in me not to cast her another glance as we left.

"So. Vega and I have been sleeping together. What's the big deal?" I said, once we had gotten to the solace of the janitor's closet.

"You still won't admit you like her! That's a problem." Cat said as she played with the hem of her sweater.

"Why do I have to admit anything? It isn't like we're dating. It just sex." I said as I leaned against the wall.

"You wanna know what I think?" Cat asked me as she looked at me with those big brown eyes.

"You're going to tell me either way." I grumbled.

"I think you want Tori so much that it scares you, so you're trying to act like it isn't anything but a physical thing. That way she can't break your heart if it turns out she doesn't want you. Which is stupid because we both know she does."

"I don't need to listen to this bull shit." I said, shaking my head.

"You're just going to run away like you always do, Jade. Soon you're going to realize you don't have anywhere else to run. Or you won't remember where you are. Like when my brother got lost at the airport and wound up..."

"Cat!" I cut her off, standing in the open doorway as she looked at me, "I fucked Vega right where you're standing." I said with a twisted grin as I turned and walked away.

I heard her shriek from where she stood, but didn't bother turning around as she ran by me shouting, "I didn't need to know that!"

So now not only had Vega told me I ran from my problems, but now Cat. I didn't know how I felt about it. I had to admit, hearing both of them accuse me of not being able to stand and face my problems definitely irritated me. And it got me thinking. Obviously, I can't lie and say that there is nothing between Vega and I. The sex doesn't refute that in its own. But the dinner, the conversations, the fact that she didn't go on that date. Those were all evidence that this stopped being a game long before I had realized it.

I, a sober Jade West, was realizing my true feelings for Victoria Vega.

The second time I snuck into her bedroom happened two nights later. She was on her bed with her headphones in, paging through a book. Again, dressed in a simple tank top, though this time she wore black panties.

I sat on her bed and her eyes passed over me, less than phased by my surprise appearance this time. She popped an earbud out and looked at me expectantly.

"Jesus, Vega. Do you ever wear pants?" I said, lying next to her.

"I never had to worry about someone crawling in through my window before. What are you doing here, Jade?"

"I was lonely." I said nonchalantly with a shrug.

She shook her head, "You've been ignoring me."

"I've been ignoring a lot of things lately." I said vaguely.

"Wow. Jade West admitting to a fault? Pinch me, I must be dreaming." Vega droned on in a monotone voice, catching me off guard slightly.

"What's got your undies in a bunch, Vega?" I asked, scooting just a hair closer to her.

She let out a sigh, "You can clearly see my _panties_ are not in a bunch at all." She said with emphasis on that horrible word she knows I hate.

"I'd like to see them off of you." I said in a low voice as I rolled over so I was hovering over her body. I took the book out of her hands and placed it on the nightstand. She looked at me, and in her eyes I saw a mixture of longing and frustration. It needed no explanation.

"You can't keep treating me like I'll always be around." She said in a breathy voice as her fingers gingerly brushed the hair out of my face.

"Then stop me." I said as I leaned down, feathering a kiss to her lips.

"We both know I'm not that strong." Her voice was barely above a whisper, and I got the feeling that what she just said wasn't even meant for me to hear.

"I wish you were." I said before kissing her with bruising force.

When we pulled apart, Vega kept my face close to hers as she whispered, "Is this time the last time?"

My heart was clamoring in my chest as I thought about the implications of either answer that could be given. If I said yes, I was either a liar or a coward. Lying about my need for her affection, or ending the one thing that made me feel alive simply because I couldn't handle the thought of someone needing me as much as I need them. If I said no, it would use a kind of bravery I didn't have. It could give her expectations I couldn't live up to.

Either way, someone would get hurt.

So I said nothing. Instead, I kissed her again, much softer than the first time. I tried to put everything I was feeling into that kiss. Things I had said to her, things I was too afraid to say to her, and things I wasn't even sure how to say. My hands cupped her face gently as my body slowly rocked with hers. My clothes were discarded at a painfully slow pace and soon we were a mess of tangled limbs, bed sheets, and breathy groans.

I made love to Tori Vega that night, hoping to convey all of my feelings through the soft touch of my lips. When it was over, I got out of the bed slowly and gathered my clothes that had been strewn about the room. I knew Vega was looking at me, but seeing the pain I knew I was inflicting on her was just too much for me to handle.

"Jade." I heard her finally say as I buttoned up my shirt. Her voice caught me off guard. It didn't sound sad. She just sounded...concerned.

"Yeah?" I answered, looking at her finally.

"You're leaving?" She asked, tilting her head. My heart dropped, knowing that when I climbed out of that window I would have taken a giant step backwards. I nodded my head, keeping my eyes to the ground, "It's okay, Jade. I know why you have to do it. Just know that...I'm ready whenever you are." I looked up at her, shocked by what she was saying.

I walked over to the window and before I climbed out, I looked back at her, "I'll see you at school tomorrow...pretty girl." The concerned expression on her face slowly turned into a radiant smile, which in turn infected me with a smile just as bright. And then I was gone.

Once I got inside my car, I pulled my phone out of my pocket, sending Cat a text message: _I love her_

I barely had time to turn my car on before my phone buzzed: _So tell her!_

_ I can't._


	8. Admission

**It's the final chapter, guys! Contemplating doing an epilogue, if you guys want it.**

After what had just happened, the only thing I could think to do was to go to Cat's house and try to put my mind back together. I didn't bother giving her a head's up that I was coming over. Instead, I parked my car in her driveway and walked right through the front door. She was sitting cross legged on her couch eating cereal and watching TV.

"Jade! I didn't know you were coming over." She exclaimed excitedly when she saw me.

"I didn't tell you I was." I said blandly as I sat next to her on the couch, picking up the remote from the coffee table and flipping channels as I tried to decide what I was going to say.

Cat slurped the end of the milk out of her bowl before setting it down and turning to look at me, "So. I think if I'm going to help you, you need to start from the beginning."

So I did just that. I walked her through every incident, starting with the one in Vega's bathroom, and ending with the one that I had just walked away from mere minutes before. Cat watched me speak, her eyes growing wide as I continued on my narrative.

"That's everything, Kit Cat. And now I have no idea what to do." I said with a sigh as I dropped my shoulders and slumped into the couch. Just as Cat opened her mouth to say something, her front door opened and a flustered looking Andre came walking through, looking slightly frantic.

"I'm so popular!" Cat said with a giggle.

"Cat. We have to talk. I know you'll know what's going on. Oh, hey Jade. Jade? Aw, shit." Andre said, barely breathing as he spoke, rubbing at his face.

"What are you doing here, Andre?" I asked, standing from the couch as he paced the ground in front of us.

"Man, Tori is going to kill me for coming here." Andre said as he continued his frantic movements. He was rubbing his hands together, and then rubbing his face again.

"What's wrong?" Cat asked from her spot on the couch.

"Jade, I know you're having sex with Tori." Andre said, ceasing his pacing and looked directly at me.

I looked at Cat, "Why? Why is that always the way this conversation starts? No one ever thinks to say, _So Jade, how is your day?_ Or, _Hey Jade, seen any good horror movies lately?_ It's always, _Jade, you're fucking Vega._"

"Language!" Cat scolded me, covering her ears and pouting.

I rolled my eyes, looking back at Andre, "I'm assuming she told you?"

"Last week. I didn't agree with it, Jade. When she first told me what she was doing, I didn't like it."

"Why?" I asked.

"Because I've known that she's had feelings for you! And this was just her way of getting you in any way she could. Aw, dammit. She's going to kill me." Andre exclaimed, beginning his pacing again as he clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Andre. Andre, stop!" I shouted, moving to stand in front of him to get him to focus on one thing at a time.

"What did she tell you?" I asked, locking my eyes with his.

"Tori's had a thing for you for a long time. She told me at the party that it was you. I was trying to figure out how you felt right before the first time you guys...you know. But I didn't know that then. And then I walked in on you guys in the storage room and I knew something was up. Then Tori called me about some date that wasn't a date that you guys went on and she told me everything. I told her. I told her she should stop. That she'd only get hurt. Dammit, Jade. I can't let you do that to her." By the end of his monologue, he had broken free from my grasp and made his way into the kitchen, circling the table.

"I didn't know." I said quietly as I walked over to a cabinet, pulling out a glass.

"That's all you have to say?" Andre asked as I grabbed the gallon of milk out of the fridge and poured it in my cup.

"What else is there to say?" I looked at him as I took a drink. His pacing stopped and he looked at me with shock evident on his face.

"You could tell him what you told me, Jade. That you love her." Cat said quietly, standing behind the protection of Andre. His eyes grew wide as he listened to what Cat was saying.

"Jesus, you couldn't keep a secret to save your life." I grumbled as I took another drink. Cat pouted and took a seat at one end of the kitchen table.

"You _what_? I must have heard wrong." Andre said as he cupped a hand over his ear for dramatic effect.

I rested my hands on the counter and dropped my head down, "Yeah. I love her."

"And you just...haven't told her?" Andre asked incredulously.

"Hey, I didn't even really understand it until tonight." I barked, looking back up at him.

He put his hands up in a mock surrender before speaking again, "Look. All I'm saying is that Tori is freaking out."

"And you don't think I am? You think I'm just using her?" I snapped at him.

"Are you?" He asked, dropping his frantic demeanor and becoming much more serious than he had been since he stormed into Cat's house.

"Yes! I mean, no. I mean, in the beginning I thought I was. But I think after the second time, I knew there was something more there, and I was just trying to ignore it. You need to realize that Vega isn't so innocent here, either. She initiated it just as much as I did. And she could have stopped me, and whatever this was that was happening."

"We all know she never would have done that." Andre said definitively as he watched me move from the counter to sit at the kitchen table. I put my head in my hands.

"What the fuck is going on with me?" I asked rhetorically.

"Jade, you have to talk to her. You might lose her." Andre said, taking a seat next to me.

I looked up at him, "I...I have her?"

"You've had her since her first day at Hollywood Arts. You should know that." He leaned back in the chair and crossed his arms, "So what are you going to do?"

I sat for a moment, thinking long and hard about what Andre had just asked me. As I chewed on my lip out of nervous habit, I came to my conclusion.

"Nothing."

"What?" Andre and Cat both shouted, looking at me like I was crazy.

"She's better off without me. We all know that. Nothing good can come from this. We aren't even dating and it's already a mess."

"You know that isn't true. And if you don't tell her what you're feeling, you're going to hate yourself." Andre said calmly.

The three of us sat in silence for a moment as I mulled over what was going on inside my head and heart at the moment. Just when Andre looked like he was going to say something, the front door opened again and we all looked up to see who it was going to be this time.

"Cat, I need your help. You're probably the only one who actually understands her." Vega said as she rushed into the house, clearly not noticing our little pow-wow in the kitchen.

"It's like a party." Cat giggled to herself.

"Andre?" Vega asked as she stopped short of the kitchen, looking at all of us through wide eyes.

"Hey, Tor." Andre said, his voice apologetic.

"Jade." Vega said, now looking at me.

"Vega." I nodded solemnly.

"Cat!" Cat squealed, throwing her hands in the air.

"So, what are you doing here?" Vega asked as she picked at the nail of her right pinky with her left hand.

"Well, I just...I was trying to..." Andre stammered, standing from his seat at the table.

"Not you," Vega said, dismissing his poor attempt at a lie, "You." She said, looking at me.

"Probably the same thing you're doing. Trying to figure out what's going on." I said quietly.

"So instead of talking to me about it, you jump out of my bedroom window and come to Cat and Andre?" She asked, looking slightly hurt.

"In my defense, it was just Cat when I got here."

Andre let out a sigh, "I came trying to pick Cat's brain about what Jade might be thinking, not knowing that Jade was already here."

"And I was eating cereal." Cat said.

"And you're here because..." I started, looking at Vega and ignoring Cat's outburst.

"I wanted to find out if Cat knew what you were thinking."

"Instead of talking to me about it." I said, throwing back her own question at her.

"I think we both know how that would have ended." Tori said with a small, sad smile.

"So now that we're all here, what do you want to know?" I asked, standing from the table and walking over to her slowly.

"Jade, do you love me?" Vega asked, the words coming out of her mouth slow like molasses.

I looked at her, not saying anything for a long while, everything around us slowly fading away as I thought. I knew the answer to that. I should be able to respond in a heartbeat. It shouldn't be hard to say, _Yes Vega, I'm in love with you._ Alas, I opened my mouth and nothing came out. Vega's shoulders fell and so did my heart.

"I'll just leave then." She said sadly as she turned to make her way back to the door.

"Vega." I said, surprising myself that I cold finally muster the courage to say something. She turned back to look at me with the smallest gleam of hope in her eyes, "Will you...do you wanna go out to dinner tomorrow night...with me?"

A smile broke across her face, "Jade...I..." She said, pausing for a moment.

"Christ, Vega. It's a date, not a death sentence." I said jokingly, hoping to release some of the tension that had built up between us.

We both shared a soft laugh and she nodded, "Yeah, Jade. I'd really like that."

"As if you'd ever turn me down." I said smugly.

She laughed and gently shoved me, "What happened to not being interested in anyone?"

I thought for a moment, "You don't plan when you fall in love, Vega. And you sure as hell don't plan who it's with either. Trust me, otherwise it definitely wouldn't have been you." I said with a smirk.

She rolled her eyes, "Same old Jade."

"Well, don't expect that to change any time soon." Cat said from where she sat in the kitchen, and I just remembered where we were. We both turned to look at our audience. Cat had the biggest grin on her face and Andre was sitting in his chair looking at us smugly.

"I'm glad I don't have to play the messenger anymore." Andre said with a chuckle.

"Me too." Vega said softly, looking at me again.

"How did you get here?" I asked, remembering she still doesn't have her license.

"I told Trina I'd get Beck to take her on a date if she dropped me off." Vega said, looking slightly guilty. We all shared a laugh at the thought of Trina ever getting an actual date, especially one with Beck.

"Come on, I'll take you home." I said, placing my hand gently on her lower back as I guided her to the front door. I looked back behind me and mouthed a silent _thank you_ to Andre and Cat. They both nodded, smiles gleaming.

When we were in the safety of my car, I turned to look at Vega, "How do you think this is going to end, Vega? We'll ride off into the sunset in my convertible? People like me don't get happy endings." I said sadly.

She shook her head, "That isn't what I'm expecting at all."

"What?" I asked, surprised.

"That isn't you, Jade. And it isn't me. That's...that's not how we work. It never has been. And to think anything different would be delusional. We're messy. We don't understand each other. And in all honesty, we shouldn't work at all. But for some reason, we do. That's all I really know. And that's all that matters to me right now." She finished with a shrug.

I leaned over the center console and kissed her soundly on the mouth, "You really are amazing, you know that?" I whispered.

"Jeez, Jade." She said, blushing.

I laughed, "Tell me something, Vega, did you ever believe me when I said it would be the last time?"

"Nope." She shook her head.

"Why not?"

"You always sounded like you were trying to tell yourself that, not me. I was just waiting for the day you'd realize that you wanted this just as badly as I did."

Smiling, I put the car in drive and pulled out of Cat's driveway, "Tell me how far you wanna go, and I'll take you there...pretty girl." I said, casting a sideways glance back to Vega who was sitting there with a grin on her face.

"Let's go to your place. I don't really feel like giving Trina another show."


	9. Epilogue

**The vast majority of you guys asked for an epilogue and I just couldn't resist! I also got a lot of requests for a sequel. Regardless, you guys can anticipate either more Jori stories or maybe a sequel coming from me in the near future! This is ridiculously fluffy, but I figured after all the emotional turmoil Jade endured, some fluff would be good for her. ;)**

"Vega, are you kidding me? I've been waiting outside for ten minutes!" I shouted as I busted into the empty Vega household.

"Just a minute!" I heard her voice call to me from upstairs.

"You said that ten minutes ago! I am not going to be late for my own graduation." I replied as I paced around her living room in an irritated fashion.

After that night at Cat's, Vega had agreed to be my girlfriend. And to this day, I constantly question why she ever would have said yes. But regardless of her mental state, we've been together for a little over a year now. We fight a lot. Well, I take that back. Fighting doesn't feel like the right way to describe our behavior. We bicker. Like crazy. I think that just furthers what Vega had said to me that night. Everything about us shouldn't work. But it does. And we do.

When we told the rest of the group, it went better than I had expected. I wasn't anticipating anyone disowning us, but I was incredibly nervous about Beck's reaction. You know, the whole ex-girlfriend dating the girl he had tried numerous times to get with. Beck sat in silence for a decent five minutes before giving us any kind of indication that he heard or comprehended what we had just told him.

"I feel like such a jackass." He said sullenly, running a hand through his hair.

"Why?" I asked.

"I kept trying to get with the girl you loved. That's a lousy thing to do." He said, and I was shocked that of all the emotions this kid should feel, he felt guilt over something he hadn't even the slightest clue about.

I laughed and he looked at me surprised, "You didn't know, Beck. You can't blame yourself for something you had no idea about. Now, if Cat or Andre had told you and you continued to pursue her, then I probably would have came after you with a pair of scissors in a dark alley." I said, earning a laugh from Beck.

Robbie looked like he peed himself when we told him, and Rex made another perverted comment that earned him a good week in the puppet repair shop. Hey, it isn't my fault we told him while we were sitting in Vega's kitchen. The garbage disposal was so close, and his limbs come off so easily.

After that, the topic of my relationship with Vega was never brought up again. We all went on with our lives. Cat was still Cat. Beck started dating some girl that went to a private school in the city over. Andre had a few flings here and there. And Robbie...well, Robbie had Rex to keep him company while he silently, but obviously, pined over Cat.

A few days after we went public, Trina pulled me aside after dinner at the Vega household.

"If you hurt her, I will hire someone to come after you." Trina told me, and I could see she was trying her very hardest to be intimidating. It worked, for the most part. Not in the sense that I was afraid of Trina, but in the sense that I was afraid of hurting Vega.

I nodded my understanding, only speaking as she turned to leave, "The same goes for you now, you know? Except I won't have to hire someone." I said with a devilish smirk.

She looked me up and down, appraising my threat, "I don't think we have to worry about Tori getting hurt any time soon."

"I'm counting on it." I said before turning my attention back to my girlfriend, who had been helping her mother with the dishes.

At that moment, I caught myself smiling at the mere thought of Tori Vega being my girlfriend. I was the one she told she loved every night before she went to bed. She was the hand I held protectively. A lot had happened to bring us to where we were. Looking back, I should really thank Cat for that ridiculous "I never" that at the time made me want to strangle her. I realized now that it had just been the catalyst, the shove I needed in order to begin what I was too afraid to start on my own.

And all of this brings us to where I am now. Standing in the Vega living room, waiting for one amazing girl to get her ass in gear so we can close one door and open the next.

"Dear _God_, did you die?" I shouted again, making my way to the stairs, "I cannot believe you are taking this long. You don't even have to pick out an outfit. The gown covers everything." I grumbled as I climbed up the stairs, "Christ Vega, what are you doing?" I asked when I reached her door.

"No! Jade, don't come in!" Vega had shouted, despite the fact that I was beyond the point of no return of entering her room. My jaw fell when I looked at what she had been so preoccupied with.

White Christmas lights lined the ceiling and draped across the canopy of her bed. There was a vase of orange roses, my favorite, on her nightstand. On the perfectly made bed was a basket, filled with an assortment of my favorite candy, a copy of The Scissoring, and what looked like a bottle of white wine. Vega was standing on the side of the bed, her hands wringing as she pulled her bottom lip in between those perfect teeth with a small smile.

"Vega, what is all of this?" I asked, still taking in the scenery.

"I wanted to surprise you tonight, after everyone leaves. This is a big day for us. We're starting a new chapter of our lives together. I just thought we should do something special. And I know you don't do romantics, and all of this stuff isn't really your thing, but I thought it would be nice to-"

I cut her off by closing the distance between us and taking her face gently in my hands, kissing her to silence her rambling.

"It's perfect, you numbskull, and I can't wait for tonight. But we have somewhere important to be before we can start this new chapter of our lives, as you say." I said with a smile.

"You like it? Really?" She asked in a soft voice, her nose scrunching as she spoke.

"Would I lie to you?" I retorted, pulling her in for another kiss, "Now come on. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can come back and I can show you just how much I appreciate all of this."

"Then let's get on with it." Vega said in a playful drawl as a blush creeped across her cheeks. Even after all this time, talking about intimate things made her nervous and embarrassed. She grabbed the cap and gown from the hanger in her closet and lead me out of her bedroom.

When we arrived at Hollywood Arts, the parking lot was packed, so finding a spot was a task in itself, which elicited a nice five minutes of that bickering I was talking about earlier. It was remedied with a spot in the back and a chaste kiss as a silent apology coming from both sides. We walked up to the school dressed in our gowns with our caps in one hand and the other's hand clasped tightly in the other.

As we approached our friends standing outside the front doors, they all looked at us with wide smiles. Cat squealed and bounded up, throwing herself onto us in a hug. When we were released from her vice-like grip, more hugs were shared from the rest of the group.

Beck enveloped me into a warm hug "I really am happy for you, Jade." He said when he let me go.

I gave him a smile, "I hope you know how much it means to me to hear you say that." I said, feeling like tears would spill soon if I wasn't careful. Jade West may have become a lot of things over the year, but a cryer definitely wasn't one of them.

Andre came next, squeezing me tightly, "You take care of my girl, you hear?"

I laughed, "You better believe I will."

We stood in silence for a moment, looking at the building looming over us as the implication of what would happen when we entered resonated with all of us.

"Well, this time is the last time." I said with a sigh.

"Oh come on!" Vega said as she tugged on my arm, "Don't act like we all won't be friends after this." She said in her usual Vega cheerfulness.

"We better be, for Robbie's sake. I don't think anyone else in this world would want him around." I said with a chortle.

"All hail the Wicked With of the West!" Rex said from the sanctuary of Robbie's arms.

We shared one final laugh before Beck spoke, "Well, shall we?"

As the rest of the group headed towards the building, I tugged Vega back.

"What's wrong?" She asked, her smile faltering slightly.

"Nothing." I said with a grin as I watched her lips pull back up. I leaned in to kiss her, running my hands up her neck and into her hair.

"Come on, you two! There'll be plenty of time for that after!" Andre shouted from the doorway.

"Lead the way, pretty girl." I said with a smirk as Vega flounced towards the building, dragging me behind her.

We made it into the auditorium and found our seats. Cat, unfortunately Sinjin, then Vega, and then myself all seated in the back. Vega's hand was clasped tightly to my own and I could see the excitement practically radiating off of her. Names were called and we watched our friends walk across the stage, accepting their diplomas and turning the tassels on their caps over. When we were getting closer to the end of the alphabet, Vega turned to me.

"This is it." She said with a grin.

"This is only the beginning." I said, returning her smile and pulling her in for what would be our last kiss as high schoolers. I watched Vega as she walked up to the stage, and I couldn't fight the butterflies in my stomach, or the smile pulling on my lips, or the urge to spend the rest of my life kissing that girl whenever I could.

I, Jade West, am in love with Victoria Vega.

And frankly, I don't give a fuck who knows.


End file.
